Tower of London

The Tower of London There are many famous historic places in the world, and there are especially many historic places in England. The city of London, England, is a city of history dating back to the Roman Empire. London has famous cathedrals, castles, squares, and other sites of historical significance. One of the oldest, and the most famous, castle in London is the Tower of London. The Tower has stood for 907 years as a symbol of power of the English monarchy (Fletcher Internet). The Tower 's origins began with a rumor that King Edward III, Edward the Confessor, promised William of Normandy, the Duke of Normandy, the English throne after Edward was deceased (Sedivy Internet). On is deathbed, however, Edward gave his throne to Harold Godwinson, Earl of Wessex. When news reached Normandy that there was a new King of England, King Harold II, William was so enraged at the betrayal that he formed an army, and sailed across the English Channel to seize the English throne by force. On October 14, 1066, William defeated Harold II of England, the King of England, at the Battle of Hastings. William 's victory over Harold II earned William the title of William the Conqueror. William 's ultimate victory came on Christmas Day in 1066 when William the Conqueror was coroneted as William I, King of England (Tower of London Internet). As a foreign king, William needed to dominate his new subjects. The best way to do this was to build castles that dominated the entirety of his new kingdom. In 1078, William chose to build his most famous castle on the largest hill that lay along the north side of the Thames River. William claimed that this Tower would be the "symbol of his power, a fortress of his defense, and a prison for his enemies" (Fisher Internet). The tower William boasted about would become the White Tower. William oversaw the construction of the Tower until it was finished 20 years later, in 1097 (Fisher Internet). Initially, the Tower consisted of a

Bibliography: William the Conqueror. http://www.battle1066.com/intro2.shtml Sedivy. http://mr_sedivy.tripod.com/engrise10.html Tower of London. http://www.castles.org/castles/Europe/Western_Europe/ United_Kingdom/England/england12.htm King Edward V + Tower of London. http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/historic _figures/edward_v_king.shtml Fisher, Leonard Everett. The Tower of London. New York:1987 http://www.twingroves.district 96 k.12.il.us What Life Was Like In the Realm of Elizabeth. Alexandria, Virginia 1998